casing / shell
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casing / housing
The outer, protective covering of a technical device, a machine, or a watch.
Das Gehäuse meines neuen Smartphones ist aus recyceltem Aluminium gefertigt.
The casing of my new smartphone is made from recycled aluminum.
'Gehäuse' (casing/shell) is derived from 'Haus' (house). The prefix 'Ge-' and the umlaut (a → äu) point to a protective covering or a kind of 'little house' for something.
Das Vogelhaus im Garten braucht einen neuen Anstrich.
The birdhouse in the garden needs a new coat of paint.
You can tell which meaning is intended from the context. Words like 'Computer' (computer), 'Uhr' (watch/clock), or 'Handy' (mobile phone) point to the technical casing. Words like 'Schnecke' (snail) or 'Muschel' (mussel/shell) refer to the animal shell.
Das Gehäuse der alten Uhr ist kunstvoll verziert.
The casing of the old watch is artfully decorated.
In a technical context, 'Gehäuse' (casing/housing) is often combined with adjectives like 'robust' (robust), 'wasserdicht' (waterproof), or 'stabil' (stable/sturdy). Typical verbs are 'das Gehäuse öffnen' (to open the casing) or 'schließen' (to close it).
Für Outdoor-Aktivitäten empfehle ich eine Kamera mit einem wasserdichten Gehäuse.
For outdoor activities, I recommend a camera with a waterproof housing.
The action of a snail withdrawing into its shell is also used as an idiom. 'Sich in sein Schneckenhaus/Gehäuse zurückziehen' means that a person isolates themselves and avoids contact with others.
Nach der Kritik zog er sich komplett in sein Gehäuse zurück.
After the criticism, he withdrew completely into his shell.
tank / shell
'der Panzer' and 'das Gehäuse' can both be a protective outer covering. 'Panzer' is especially used for animals such as turtles, crabs, or armadillos. 'Gehäuse' is used very often for technical things, for example a watch, a computer, or a machine. With snails and mussels, 'Gehäuse' can also mean the hard shell. The words can be confused because both express protection. For technology, however, you almost always say 'Gehäuse'; for a turtle, 'Panzer' is more likely.
Nach dem Sturz hatte das Gehäuse der Uhr einen Kratzer.
After the fall, the watch casing had a scratch.
Der Krebs schützt sich mit seinem harten Panzer.
The crab protects itself with its hard shell.